1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a covering structure for a guide rail of a seat belt for use in a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a covering structure for a guide rail of a passive belt-type seat belt.
With a passive belt-type seat belt hitherto used, upon opening a door of an automobile for getting therein, a slide member in a guide rail provided inside a vehicle body is forwardly slidably pushed to a forward end of the guide rail by means of, for example, a push-pull wire connected to the driving power source in response to the opening of the door. In other words, the belt is moved away from a seat for a person with the aid of the opening of the door to enable him to sit on the seat. Upon closing the door after the person sits down, the slide member is returned to the rear end of the guide rail by means of a push-pull wire to bring the belt into position where it performs its function for protecting the person.
With this type of seat belt, however, as an opening of the guide rail (groove) and the slide member slidably fitted therein are exposed to the interior of the vehicle body, dust or other foreign particles tend to enter the opening of the guide rail coated with a lubricant and there is a risk of unexpected injury for children when they unintentionally insert their hands or fingers into the opening of the guide rail. In addition, such an exposed guide rail has a very unaesthetical appearance which is inferior in a sense of beauty of design.